Flashback: Yow YuXiang

For four years I’ve been getting myself involved in the most grand sports event yet in IMU, which is the IMU Cup. In these past four years I’ve gone through all kinds of mixed feelings, from the sourest and saddest defeats to the most joyous and triumphant victories, and above all I’ve picked up the most important values in the field of sports, ‘determination, understanding and teamwork’.

I’ve picked up the most important values in the field of sports, ‘determination, understanding and teamwork’

Here is what I have to say for those who are passionate in sports and would want to be good at it. It is true that hard work comes with determination and hence, to improve oneself and to strive for the better it requires a 100% of determination. I still remember starting off badly in the first year because of my lack of experience in competitions. I was only involved in Football and Futsal which I thought I had played long enough, since I was as young as 11 years old, to bring a great impact to the team. Nonetheless, my first IMU Cup was a disastrous experience for me and I felt demotivated and demoralized by my mistakes which cost the game to my team. Despite the big stumble, my passion in sports did not come to a halt. Over the years I worked on my weaknesses and tried to improve my strength and agility and slowly I found myself committing lesser mistakes than before. I was able to work well with my team and I slowly claimed my first team position as well. We were crowned football champions in my second year in Hydra House, and in the third year I was promoted to be the football captain of Hydra House. Without disappointing the Hydra members’ expectations, we successfully defended our champion title in football! This positive outcome brought up my courage and I started joining sports that I had never tried in my life before! One of which I never thought I would even make up onto the stage, which was dance competition when it was first introduced in 2013! The result surprised me leaving me gobsmacked when my dance crew was announced the champion of the first dance competition of IMU Cup! Winning it on my debut was really a superb experience, and until now I still can not describe how happy and touched I was. There were a lot of other sports which were my first experience such as Frisbee, touch rugby, squash, tennis, darts, cheer etc. and whether winning or losing it, I enjoyed getting involved in all of those because I gave my full determination to them.

I did not win this MVP award with my own effort at all. I feel that I do not entirely deserve to be crowned as the MVP because it was in fact the entire team’s effort that won us the games. No matter what sports events, the team with the strongest spirits and attitude will always have a higher edge of winning the game. A team with excellent chemistry does not necessarily need the best players in the team. Every player has a positive impact to the team, and at the same time every player has their own weaknesses too. With good chemistry and team spirits, we were able to cover each other’s weaknesses and mistakes and synergise each positive impact from each player to produce the results that we dreamed for. As a football and futsal captain, I learned to be understanding to new members as well. Everyone has got to start somewhere to get better – exactly like how I was four years ago. I had a few new members who struggled to play well because they were inexperienced and less skillful. However, I was glad to have selected a team with players who are passionate, understanding, communicative and forgiving to each other’s mistakes which ultimately made us the third consecutive football champions in IMU Cup. The players who were initially having a tough time performing well blossomed under the team’s encouragements and praises, and eventually became the most important players which contributed to us defending the football championship.

…it was in fact the entire team’s effort that won us the games. No matter what sports events, the team with the strongest spirits and attitude will always have a higher edge of winning the game.

I would love to encourage not just the sport enthusiasts but every student out there in IMU to keep joining IMU Cup and make it a fun, competitive and meaningful event that will bring you sweet memories. Do not be discouraged by defeats and dreadful critics, use them as an experience and learn from the mistakes you made. If you’re passionate about sports, do not stop trying and one day your determination will pay off! In fact, campus life is probably the last stage where you will be able to get yourself involved in grand sports events like this. Do not waste your youthful physiques and souls! Just keep in mind that you should not take defeat too harshly. It is not a bad thing to lose because you have definitely learned something new from the games and because of that it is a gain for you, in other words – you are a winner as well. Winning does not mean everything too, it will serve as an encouragement for you to work harder to be even better than who you were before, because there is no end to learning and improving. As the saying goes, ‘success is never owned, it is being leased, and rent is due every day’.

It is not a bad thing to lose because you have definitely learned something new from the games and because of that it is a gain for you, in other words – you are a winner as well.

Lastly, if you were to ask me what was my best moment in all these IMU Cup seasons, nothing beats the closing ceremony of IMU Cup 2014! Watching Hydra going from 5th place in 2011, to 3rd place in 2012, and the sad slip in the last moments in 2013 when we lost the IMU Cup to Pegasus, and finally witnessing Hydra emerging as champions in this year’s IMU Cup! I am truly lucky to be a part of the Hydra big family. The members here are friendly, loving, sporting and unselfish! I would like to dedicate my two years of MVP awards to all Hydra members, as an icing to the cake in conjunction to lifting the IMU Cup 2014! They all deserved it! Hail Hydra! =))